This is the most articulate and concise discussion of the developing Mississauga power plant relocation controversy that I have seen. The author of this analysis, Eric Jelinski, has generously allowed me to present it here.
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First of all, I want to thank MPP Randy Pettapiece for asking due diligence questions regarding the cancelled gas plant in Mississauga.
It is important to review some history. Lakeview as it was originally built essentially on the Toronto/Mississauga border, was an important generating station for providing much needed electrical power to support high density growth in Toronto and Mississauga. However, Lakeview was shutdown several years ago as part of the shutdown coal initiative.
The first error in judgment by the government of the day was to not immediately replace Lakeview with the modern gas plant instead of attempting to install the new (Cancelled) gas plant where it did not fit.
A second error is judgment is thinking that wind turbines would fill the gap in power vacated by the shutdown of Lakeview.
Relocating the cancelled gas plant to somewhere far away like Sarnia does not address the need for electrical power due to growth in the western part of Toronto and Mississauga, the GTA through to places like Hamilton and Kitchener.
Therefore the $190 million of cancellation charges, in order to address the first mistake, are a complete and utter waste since a gas fired electric generating plant will need to be build to replace Lakeview on or near the same property sooner rather than later.
Even though this government has been around for almost a decade; and some of you MPP’s, Bentley, Duncan, and McGuinty, have been around in government for many years, the background knowledge, experience and oversight does not appear to exist, and therefore that resulted in the waste of the time and money, and disrupting the lives of many all over Ontario. It is rather shallow to think the public should buy your reasons for the cancellation as reported at face value.
You are wasting our money quite liberally, yet asking us/everybody to do more with less and to tighten our belts.
In light of this waste and a number of other wastes that are self revealing lately such as ORNGE, it is only logical for somebody, Mr. Bentley, Mr. Duncan, and/or Mr. McGuinty to tender your resignation in order to accept accountability for the mismanagement.
Yours truly,
Eric Jelinski P. Eng.
Stayner, Ontario